Article transfer elevator to the folders of wrapping machines



ARTICLE TRANSFER ELEVATOR TO THE FOLDERS OF WRAPPING MACHINES Filed NOV. 20, 1964 June 27, 1967 F. M. WILLBRANDT ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 1967 F. M. WILLBRANDT ETAL. 3,327,453

ARTICLE TRANSFER ELEVATOR TO THE FOLDERS OF WRAPPING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 20, 1964 0 R TFQ.. Q m w mmmyA 7 Mm 0 1 m WM United States Patent 3,327,453 ARTICLE TRANSFER ELEVATOR TO THE FOLDERS 01* WRALPING MACHINES Franklin M. Wiilbrandt and Lawton Ramey, Battle Creek,

Mich, assignors to Battle Creek Packaging Machines,

Inc., Battle Creek, Mic

Filed Nov. 24 1964, Ser. No. 412,766 18 Claims. (Cl. 53-228) This invention relates to improvements in article transfer elevators to the folders of wrapping machines. The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a wrapping machine in which fragile or plural loose articles may be wrapped without the necessity of being provided with supporting bottom cards or boards.

Second, to provide a wrapping machine of the type that advances articles to be wrapped on any conveyor to an elevator or on spaced flights of a horizontally advancing conveyor in which the articles are supported directly on their edges on the flights, and an elevator plate rises between the flights to lift the articles upwardly under a wrapper sheet to drape the wrapper over the top and sides of the article, after which a first and sometimes a second bottom fold plate moves horizontally between the bottom of the article and the elevator to form bottom folds under the article, the surfaces of the elevators being provided with a plurality of upstanding laterally deflectable pins, bristles or supports to permit entry of the fold plates under the article without damage to the article or the elevator.

Third, to provide an article elevator for wrapping machines with laterally deflectable pins, bristles or ribs which can support the bottom of the article and still permit the entry of one or more bottom fold plates between the bottom of the articles and the elevator to form bottom folds in a wrapper from one or two sides under the article.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and claims. The drawings, of which there are two sheets, show a type of wrapping machine to which the elevator of the invention is applicable, and two practical forms of the conveyor-elevator relation of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a wrapping machine embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a first form of the elevator of the invention.

FIG 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the elevator shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of the elevator of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a conventional side elevational view of a modified form of article advancing conveyor associated with a modified elevator and a wrapper sheet support and bottom folders of a wrapping machine.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the modified elevator shown in FIG. 6.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a portion of the wrapping machine disclosed in the patent to Smith No. 2,620,608, issued Dec. 9, 1952. By this machine an infeeding conveyor consisting of chains 1 having opposed pairs of flanged flight bars 2 and 3 advances articles such as biscuits or cakes 4 from a suitable loading station (not illustrated). A generally upright elevator bar 5 is driven in timed relation to the conveyor in an orbital motion by an upper guide arm 51 pivoted at 6 to the crank 7 on a shaft 8, and a lower lift arm 9 that is oscillated by a shaft 10. The top of the elevator bar carries a platform 11 that passes between the chains of the conveyor and the flight bars 2 and 3 to lift the articles off the flight bars.

3,327,453 Patented June 27, 1967 By timing mechanism disclosed more clearly in the above mentioned patent, or by other suitable means such as stopping the conveyor 1, the platform 11 lifts the articles to be wrapped through an opening 12 in a wrapper support plate 13 over which a sheet 14 of wrapping material has been placed by automatic means (not illustrated). The articles and the platform 11 rise above the plate 14 causing the wrapper sheet to drape over the top and front and back sides of the article, as shown by dotted lines at 15 and 16 and to above reciprocable fold plates 17 and 18. The fold plates are reciprocated by mechanism not illustrated and housed within the dotted housings 19 and 20 to fold the lower draped ends of the wrapper under the bottom of the article and support the article. After the articles are supported by the plates 17 and 18, the elevator retracts downwardly, with an orbital motion caused by the crank 7 and arm 51 if the conveyor has continued to advance. Pushing and folding mechanisms, which is old and not illustrated, pushes the partially wrapped package onto the wrapper way 21 to complete the wrapping operation.

Heretofore it has been necessary to support the articles on a bottom card or board to prevent damage to the articles and the elevator platform by the reciprocating folding plates 17 and 18 and this board made of light cardboard has been wrapped in the package. The present elevator platform 11 has sheet 22 of rubber or other deformable material secured to its upper surface and the sheet has a plurality of integral pins or fingers 23 of similarly flexible and laterally deflectable material distributed over its surface and projecting thereabove. The fingers 23 act as bristles of a brush to support the article and still deflect or sweep from the bottom of the article when deflected by the bottom fold plates 17 and 18 without damage to the bottom of the most fragile articles.

The platform 11 stops below the level of the plates 17 and 18 and is not subject to damage by the plates if there is a minor maladjustment of the parts. Instead of picking up the article by engaging the bottom card as before, the fold plates advance below the article and as the pins or bristles 23 are deflected, the article actually descends slightly or remains vertically stationary and supported on the bottom folds that are pressed under it by the plates 17 and 18. The yieldable fingers further apply a continuing restraining pressure on the draped bottom of the wrapper sheet against the fold plates, holding the sheet against the advancing edges of the folding plates so a snug underwrap is formed.

The modified form of platform shown in FIG. 5 has a sheet 22A of deformable material adhered thereto and the sheet has a plurality of spaced upstanding flexible ribs 23A formed integrally thereon. The ribs 23A act similarly to the fingers 23 but have a more continuous engagement with the bottom of the article. Generally speaking, the modified elevator pad is more useful when wrapping heavier and less fragile articles.

The deformable rubber-like sheets or pads with their integral bristles or ribs are desirable when Wrapping foods a they can be easily cleaned. Other laterally deflectable bristles such as wire or natural bristles or tufts of bristles may be used when not wrapping food articles as will be described.

The modified form of elevator and transfer mechanism shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 consists of a horizontal conveyor having chains 1A trained around suitable sprockets, one of which is shown at 24. The chains support groups of plural flight bars 25 with a pusher flight bar 26 at the back of each group of bars. The pusher flights may be biased rearwardly as by the weights 27 which are held in upright position by the support rails 28 on the advancing reach of the conveyor. The weights move off of the forward ends 31 of the rails a the package, such as a package of paper napkins 29, is transferred to the elevator or transfer member 30. The pusher flights fall inwardly of the conveyor as at 26A so as not to interfere with the lowered position of the elevator shown in dotted lines at A. The elevator rises between the wrapper sheet support plates 12 and 13 as in the first form of the invention, picking up a wrapper sheet 14 which drapes over the top and sides of the package as shown in full lines in FIG. 6, at which time the bottom fold plates 34 and may be advanced inwardly underneath the package 29.

The elevator or transfer member St) has a plurality of tufted bristles 33 secured in spaced relation over its upper surface, and the bottom fold plates 34 and 35 strike these laterally bendable bristles and progressively force the sides of the wrapper sheet underneath the package 29. In advancing underneath the package, the individual bristles are separately deflected so as not to produce any displacing effect on the bottom sheet of the package of napkins, or otherwise damage the bottom of the article being wrapped. At the same time the bristles hold the progressively folding edge 36 of the wrapper sheet against the bottom folding plates to hold the sheet taut and to produce a snug wrap around the package.

It is pointed out that the motion of the transfer member 30 relative to the bottom fold plates 34 and 35 may be either vertical, as illustrated, or the transfer plate may move horizontally relative to a single bottom fold plate to produce the same underfolding of the draped wrapper sheet. It is also possible that the transfer member 30, which is illustrated as an elevator, might move downwardly rather than upwardly after receiving the package to be wrapped from the conveyor or other article advancing structure, without departing from the theory of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A wrapping machine having a vertically reciprocable elevator arranged to advance articles to be wrapped through a wrapper sheet support to adjacent but below the level of horizontally reciprocable bottom folding means,

characterized by said elevator having a plurality of up standing, laterally-deflectable elements distributed over its upper surface and extending across the path of movement of said folding means in the raised position of said elevator.

2. A wrapping machine as defined in claim 1 in which said deflectable elements consist of spaced fingerlike projections.

3. A wrapping machine as defined in claim 2 in which said deflectable elements are formed integrally with a sheet of flexible material secured to the top of said elevator.

4. A wrapping machine as defined in claim 1 in which said deflectable elements are elongated ribs spaced laterally from each other along the path of movement of said folding means.

5. A wrapping machine as defined in claim 1 in which said bottom folding means advance from opposite sides of said elevator.

6. A wrapping machine as defined in claim 1 in which said elevator follows an orbital path in passing between spaced article supporting flights of a continuously advancing conveyor.

7. A wrapping machine as defined in claim 6 in which said deflectable elements are formed as integral projections on a sheet of flexible material secured to the top of said elevator.

8. A wrapping machine as defined in claim 7 in which said deflectable elements are spaced finger-like projections.

9. Transfer mechanism for transferring articles from an open bottom support to a continuous support plate comprising,

an elevator reciprocable vertically through said open bottom support,

a plurality of upstanding and laterally deflectable elements disposed in spaced relation over the article supporting surface of said elevator,

and horizontally reciprocable article receiving plate means positioned to reciprocate across said deflect able elements in the raised position of said elevator.

10. Transfer mechanism as defined in claim 9 in which said deflectable elements consist of finger-like projections formed integrally with a connecting sheet secured to said elevator.

11. Transfer mechanism as defined in claim 9 in which said deflectable elements consist of ribs spaced laterally from each other along the path of movement of said receiving plate means.

12. Transfer mechanism for transfering articles from a conveyor to a support plate spaced from the conveyor comprising,

a transfer member reciprocable from an article receiving position adjacent said conveyor to a position ad jacent said plate,

a plurality of laterally deflectable elements disposed in spaced relation over said transfer member and projecting thereabove,

the upper ends of said deflectable elements being in article receiving and supporting position relative to said conveyor in one position of the elevator,

said deflectable elements extending across the plane of said plate in another position of said transfer member,

and means for relatively horizontally reciprocating said plate against the sides of at least part of said deflectable elements to enter betweeen said transfer member and an article on said deflectable elements and into supporting relation to such an article.

13. Transfer mechanism as defined in claim -12 in which said deflectable elements are tufts of bendable bristles.

14. Transfer mechanism as defined in claim 12 in which said article receiving position of said elevator is adjacent the end of a horizontal conveyor.

15. Transfer mechanism as defined in claim '14 in which the reciprocating motion of said transfer member has a substantial vertical component.

No references cited.

TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner.

L. S. BOUCHARD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WRAPPING MACHINE HAVING A VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE ELEVATOR ARRANGED TO ADVANCE ARTICLES TO BE WRAPPED THROUGH A WRAPPER SHEET SUPPORT TO ADJACENT BUT BELOW THE LEVEL OF HORIZONTALLY RECIPROCABLE BOTTOM FOLDING MEANS, CHARACTERIZED BY SAID ELEVATOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING, LATERALLY-DEFLECTABLE ELEMENTS DISTRIBUTED 